SAC Introduces New Alcohol Policy
By Jenny Mertz-Shea
News Associate

After a lengthy revision process, the Student Affairs Committee (SAC) released a draft of Pomona's new alcohol policy this week. The revised policy cracks down on hard alcohol consumption and allows students to register kegs.

According to the draft, consumption of hard alcohol "is viewed with special disfavor by the College," and will carry a fine of $100 on the first offense and $250 on the second for anyone under 21. History Professor and SAC member Ron Cluett explained that this language was selected to distinguish college policy from the law, which does not distinguish among different types of alcoholic beverages.

ASPC President and SAC member Phil Kopczynski '03 said he thinks the hard alcohol policy will probably only be enforced occasionally. "The purpose was just to put it in writing that hard alcohol is a big problem and the college doesn't like it," he explained. "I think the single most important thing we learned [from the recent CIACPC alcohol report] is that hard alcohol is a big, big, problem for students who don't understand its potency; it can be very dangerous."

Yet Dean of Students Ann Quinley said the College aims to take a stricter approach. "The effort is to be more strict about hard alcohol," she said. "Particularly in first- and second-year halls."

At the same time, the SAC rescinded its previous across-the-board ban on drinking games. The policy now states that "drinking contests involving hard alcohol shots and front-loading" are "discouraged," and may result in "sanctions."

Under the revised policy, students over 21 will now be permitted to register wine or a single keg of beer for private parties in Walton commons, Smiley Lounge, Blaisdell Lounge, Lyon Lounge, Clark III room 112, Clark V social room 1, and the social room in Smith Campus Center. Kopczynski said SAC is considering maybe-"but I can't stress the maybe enough"-also allowing registered wine and kegs in Lawry, the Clark V "S" rooms, or some of the Walker doubles. Also, he noted that since neither campus safety nor college servers will be present at the private parties, it will be the host's responsibility to make sure Pomona's alcohol policy is observed.

"I was willing to support loosening the keg policy if it meant that more people registered their kegs," explained Cluett.

Both Cluett and Kopczynski admitted that the revisions were also influenced by the input Pomona received from fellow Committee On Financing Higher Education (COFHE) schools, such as Harvard, Swarthmore and Amherst. Cluett characterized their feedback as "invaluable," and said he liked the way they consistently balanced criticism and praise.

"After we got the [Committee to Investigate Alcohol Culture at Pomona College] study, we sent it to some experts at other schools," said Quinley. "And I would say [the policy change] was more due to that" than to students' feedback.

Kopczynski, on the other hand, was more critical of COFHE experts' comments on Pomona's reputation. "I really got the impression from some of these people that, in the end, they just didn't quite get it," he said. "So we took their recommendations with a grain of salt."

He claimed that while some respondents said Pomona needs to "loosen up," others advocated converting to a dry campus, and at least one COFHE administrator made some remarks to the effect that "Pomona is a party school."

"That totally surprised me," Cluett admitted. "As a faculty member, and even as a faculty resident, that was not my impression of Pomona. I did my doctorate at Princeton, and I can tell you that what I saw there with the drinking clubs they have was much worse than anything I've seen here."

Kopczynski dismissed these criticisms as well. "Frankly, even if we do have that reputation, I don't think it's true," he said. "So, fine, we have a keg on campus on a Thursday night; I don't believe that detracts from the academic environment at all."

Quinley, however, disagrees, "We have more of an alcohol culture here than we like to acknowlege," she warned. "Over the last three or four years, I have begun to hear more feedback from students who are disturbed by goings-on-the time at which parties end, loud parties in Eversole courtyard-and that it interferes with their ability to get work done that they need to do... I used to never hear complaints about things like that."

Kopczynski said that the SAC hopefully will tinker with the policy, and that he'd like to see it taken further in terms of offering students incentives to register their alcohol and abide by college policy.

But he admitted that the committee is grappling with "a number of competing considerations" that make this unlikely. For example, one point of contention is the idea held by some committee members that the residence hall spaces are not meant for socializing. "A number of people believe dorm rooms should be primarily, if not exclusively, a space for studying and sleeping," Kopczynski claimed.

Still, he said, "I like what we've got so far... But it's taken a lot of work to get where we are, a lot of revisions. It's been surprisingly tedious."

Kopczynski stressed that the process is by no means over; he claimed that releasing this draft was the SAC's way of bringing students into the decision-making process. In fact, he said he's certain that at least a few changes will result from the student forum held Wednesday night.

In the meantime,Quinley said the College is moving to create an environment that facilitates safe drinking. She said Pomona will ask the city to allow the Sagehen Café to serve alcohol until midnight. Also, when the faculty offices move out of the SCC basement in the '04-'05 school year, Quinley said she hopes to install a pub.

"Of course," she noted, "the kicker is, they have to let us get a liquor license first."